Pacchi pulusu- Raw tamarind Rasam

Pacchi pulusu is a very special rasam in south India especially Andhra pradesh. Making is very easy and it tastes delicious.

Ingredients:
Tamarind pulp-soak lemon size tamarind in water and squeeze out the juice-5 tbsp
Onions chopped--1/2cup
Green chili-2 in number
garlic cloves-2
curry leaves- 1 rib
Coriander/ cilantro chopped-10 springs
Salt to taste
Red chili powder/ pepper powder- 1/2ts
Vegetable oil-2bsp
cumin seeds-1/2tbsp
Mustard seeds-1/2tbsp
Turmeric-pinch

Directions:
Mix Onions, tamarind pulp, salt to taste, rechili powder/pepper powder in 250ml of water and keep aside.
Now prepare the tempering. Grind green chili, few onions, garlic cloves and very few cumin seeds together and keep aside. heat 2tbsp of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds wait until they splatter and add grinded green chili mixture, curry leaves and saute until the raw smell disappears. Finally add little turmeric and saute 1min and turn off the stove add this tempering to tamarind mixture and mix well. Garnish with cilantro.
Enjoy with rice.
Hope you like my recipe.

Oakra peanut fry- bhendi fry/ladies finger fry

Oakra or bendakaya is my father's favorite vegetable. We used to have thrice in a week, when I was in India, I never used to like this vegetable, my mother used to prepare another curry for me. But she used to say " Bendakaya tinte telvi vostundi" means "Oakra is brain food, that increases intelligence".

Ingredients:
Oakra-washed and chopped to half inch pieces-2cups
Pea nut/ground nut-1/4cup
Green chillies-2
chopped cilantro-2t.s
Cumin seeds-1/2ts
Mustard seeds-1/2ts
Chana dal-1ts
Turmeric-Pinch
Salt to taste
Chili powder-1/2t.s
Red chili-1
vegetable oil-2ts

Directions:

• Heat 2ts of oil in non stick pan and add pea nuts and fry them, take them out in a bowl and keep aside.
• Add cumin + mustard + chana + moong  dal+ red chili and wait until they splutter. 
• Add bhendi and fry them under medium flame, when they are finely cooked add turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt to taste cook till raw flavor goes away.
• Finally add the fried ground nuts and mix well.

Serve with white rice and rasam. Thank you for stopping by plz come back again.

Mushroom Curry- Indian Style

Mushrooms are very low in calories, very high in fiber & contain many important vitamins and minerals. The nutritional facts of mushrooms are stated below:

Nutrition Facts Serving Size 1 oz   Amount Per Serving Calories from Fat 165 Calories 187   % Daily Values* Total Fat 18.29g 28%   Saturated Fat 16.221g 81%   Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2g     Monounsaturated Fat 0.778g   Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 10mg 0% Potassium 154mg   Total Carbohydrate 6.7g 2%   Dietary Fiber 4.6g 18%   Sugars 2.08g   Protein 1.95g     Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 1% Calcium 1% Iron 5% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. Nutrition Values are based on USDA Nutrient Database SR18 9% of RDI* (187 calories)

Source: http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/dried-coconut

Calorie Breakdown:   Carbohydrate (15%)   Fat (82%)   Protein (3%)

• Protein - Most mushrooms have a high protein content, usually around 20-30% by dry weight. This can be useful for vegetarians or anyone looking to increase the protein content in their diet.

• Fiber - Good amount of fiber in mushrooms will help in lowering cholesterol and is important for the digestive system.

• Niacin & other important B vitamins - As certain B vitamins are found in animal tissue but not plants, this can be another good supplement for vegetarians.

• Vitamin D - Essential for the absorption of calcium.

• Copper(Cu) - Aids in helping the body absorb oxygen and create red blood cells.

• Selenium(Se) - An antioxidant that helps neutralize free radicals, thus preventing cell damage and reducing the risk of cancer and other diseases. Mushrooms contain more selenium than any other form of produce.

• Potassium(K) - An extremely important mineral that regulates blood pressure(BP) and keeps cells functioning properly. A large portobello mushroom is said to have more potassium than a banana.

• Low levels of fat, calories, and sodium & No cholesterol: Main benefit of mushrooms

Coming to recipe:

Ingredients:

White button mushrooms-1 cup

Tomato puree-1cup

Chopped onions-1/4cup

Green chillies-2

chopped cilantro-2t.s

dry coconut powder -2ts

Cumin seeds-1/2ts

Mustard seeds-1/2ts

Chana dal-1ts

Turmeric-Pinch

Salt to taste

Chili powder-1/2t.s

Red chili-1

vegetable oil-2ts(I used olive oil)

Directions:

• Wash and slice white button mushrooms.



• Heat 2ts of oil in non stick pan and add cumin + mustard + chana + moog  dal+ red chili and wait until they splutter.


• Add onions and green chili and saute until they the onions become transparent. 


• Add turmeric & Ginger-garlic paste and cook for few min and add sliced mushrooms and cook under medium flame by closing the vessel. 


• when the mushrooms are done, add tomato puree and cook until the raw flavor of tomato vanishes add little water if necessary.


• Finally add salt to taste, red chili powder and cook for few minutes under medium flame.


• Check for taste, adjust salt.


• Garnish with cilantro and turnoff the stove. 


• Serve hot with poori/chapati/ rice.

Hope you like my recipe.plz come back again.

Carrot, Potato, Onions whole wheat bread sandwich- Healthy Breakfast

Quick, easy, healthy and handy recipe is a great idea for the mother's/ wifes/ working women for their lazy kids/ hubby's. My hubby does his breakfast in car while driving to office. These kind of recipes are very healthy and handy for the people like my hubby. Many mornings he went without having breakfast, which is very bad habit. Now I no more entertain such unhealthy habit, so I planned to make some healthy and handy foods and this is one of them.

Ingredients: (makes 2, serves 1)
Whole wheat bread/ white bread-2 slices
Egg-1
Carrot grated-1 cup
Potato grated-1cup
Onion- grated-1cup
Oil-2tbsp (olive oil preferable)
red chili powder/pepper powder- to taste
salt to taste

Directions:

• Heat 1tbsp of oil in a pan and add carrot, onion and potato and fry till they get cooked, add salt to taste and red chili powder or pepper powder(very mild flavor is preferable so add very little). 
• keep it aside. 

• Now take a pan and heat 2tbsp oil. 
• Take bread slice, remove sides that are brown and cut them diagonally.
• Take a plate and break open egg add little salt and pepper powder/ red chili powder to taste and whisk it gently with spoon.
• now dip these bread slices on both sides and fry on both sides with little oil on a pan and take them out.

• Sandwich the prepared carrot mixture between two slices and enjoy.

Hope you like my recipe, plz come back again for more :)

What is cholesterol?What are healthy cholesterol levels?

Cholesterol is a type of fatty substance, also known as a lipid which is a type of fat in blood. You get cholesterol from eating certain type of fatty foods.

Your body also makes cholesterol. In fact, cholesterol is a major component of cell membranes and is made by the cells of most organs and tissues in the body. Your body also uses cholesterol to make bile salts, which help aid in digestion.Smaller amounts of cholesterol are used to make harmones and vitamin D and other substances.

Cholesterol is carried in the blood by special substances called lipoproteins. Low density lipo protein, or LDL, is known as "BAD" choloesterol. High density lipoprotein or HDL is known as "GOOD" cholesterol. These two types lipids along with triglycerides, makeup the three main parts of your cholesterol.

The three main categories of fats(Lipids) are:

HDL, LDL and Triglycerides in our body.

What are healthy cholesterol levels?

To help yor risk from heart disease, eat healthy foods that are mentioned in the table, the tables shows the foods that we have to avoid and the foods we have to consume.

Hope this info is helpful to all of you, I got this info near the doctor whom I had seen recently, thought this info will be helpful to every one and thought of posting it. Eat healthy and Stay healthy!!!!!!

Rajma/ Kidney beans salad/chat

Rajma/kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein.
Kidney Beans nutritional profile: source: WHFoods

Kidney beans, cooked 1.00 cup 177.00 grams 224.79 calories Nutrient Amount DV (%) Nutrient Density World's Healthiest Foods Rating molybdenum 132.75 mcg 177.0 14.2 excellent folate 229.39 mcg 57.3 4.6 very good tryptophan 0.18 g 56.2 4.5 very good dietary fiber 11.33 g 45.3 3.6 very good manganese 0.84 mg 42.0 3.4 very good protein 15.35 g 30.7 2.5 good iron 5.20 mg 28.9 2.3 good phosphorus 251.34 mg 25.1 2.0 good copper 0.43 mg 21.5 1.7 good potassium 713.31 mg 20.4 1.6 good magnesium 79.65 mg 19.9 1.6 good vitamin B1 (thiamin) 0.28 mg 18.7 1.5 good vitamin K 14.87 mcg 18.6 1.5 good World's Healthiest Foods Rating Rule excellent DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10% very good DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5% good DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5% Now coming to the recipe: Ingredients: Rajma-1cup (100grms) onions finaly chopped-1cup Green chili-2 chopped olive oil-2ts cumin seeds -1/2tbsp mustard seeds-1/2tbsp salt too taste Aamchur powder-1/2tea spoon garlic cloves mashed-1/2tbsp red chili powder to taste(1/4tbsp) Directions: Soak kidney beans in water for atleast 1hr and cook them in a cooker by adding very little salt for 3 whistles. Let them cool down in a cooker and later remove the lid. If you do not have cooker, microwave  them or cook them in a vessel with water on a stove with closed lid. Be careful, do not over cook them. Now heat 2tbsp of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and mustard seeds(optional), wait until they splatter then add half of the onions and fry them till they turn transparent under medium flame. Now add green chili & garlic and fry them. Add cooked kidney beans and saute them nicely. Finally add remaining onions, aamchur powder little red chili powder and salt to taste. You can garnish with cilantro also. Now the rajma is ready to serve.

Glazed doughnut balls

Who do not love doughnuts?They are my favorite. Why the most delicious foods are always rich in calories? this question always strikes my mind. If they are low calorie food I would have enjoyed them every day. I just started making this doughnuts, just at the end my hubby came from work and we both started munching on them, we were so busy in munching that I just forgot to take the pics of my lovely doughnuts. I just took them at the end.  they came out really yum!!!! here is the lovely recipe for all of you!

2  envelopes active dry yeast(each 0.25 ounce)
1/4 cup warm water (115 F)
1& 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup shortening
5 cups all-purpose flour
vegetable oil enough for frying
1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
hot water as needed


Directions:

1. Add the yeast over the warm water, and let stand for 5-10 minutes until they become foamy.
2. Take a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour.
3. Mix for a few minutes at low speed by stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl.
4. Knead, until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover with wet cloth. Set in a warm place to rise until double. Dough is ready if you touch it.
5. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2 inch thickness.
6. make very small balls out of the flour. Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a damp cloth.
7. For Icing: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside.
8. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy skillet to 350F. Just slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula.
9. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. 
10. Dip doughnuts into the Icing while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess. 

Hope you like my recipe :)

Healthy Breakfast- Capsicum & Mushroom Franki

This is the flavorful recipe with the left over chapati/roti (Night dinner-Morning breakfast). You can do the same with corn/wheat tortilas. Before going to recipe, first I should tell you all about my sweet hubby, because of whom I've to try these kind of quick, easy, healthy and handy breakfast. Let me tell his best qualities,
1. He is very punctual (yeah! he will go to office at 8:15 though it is at 7:30)
2. He will get up very early (hehe!!! 7:00am)
3. He can look after his things on his own ( I'll just Iron his dress, keep it ready when he comes out of
    bathroom, brush his shoe, arrange his office files and key's),
4. He will never miss his breakfast (yeah! he will have it only on weekends!!!!, In weekdays if I make
    breakfast I'll just have to dump it!!!)
I think all the above qualities forced me to prepare these kind of handy recipes for breakfast, so that he can have it in car while driving to office. Now enough of my naughty hubby. Coming to recipe...

Ingredients:(Makes 2, serves one)
Tortilla/roti/chapati-1
Egg-1
Onions finely chopped-1/4cup
Capsicum finely chopped-1/4cup
one big Mushroom-finely chopped
Red chili powder/ pepper powder-1tea spoon
Salt to taste
Milk-2table spoons
Olive oil-1table spoon

Method:

• Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add mushroom and capsicum and saute until they are half cooked under medium flame.
• Meanwhile take onions in a cup and break open an egg. Add red chili powder/ pepper powder, milk and whisk together gently.

• When the mushroom capsicum mixture is ready, bring the mixture to center and add egg mixture to it. Press tortilla/ roti on top of this mixture. Flip to cook on other side as well.

• Roll this franki and cut it in the middle. Serve hot by squeezing little lemon juice on top. 

Daddojanam - Curd Rice with Flattened rice (Atukulu)

Flattened rice are called Atukulu in telugu. This easily digestible form of raw rice is very popular across Nepal, India and Banglaadesh and is normally used to prepare snacks or light and easy fast food in a variety of Indian cuisine styles, some even for long-term consumption of a week or more. It is known by a variety of names: Poha (Click here for poha recipe)  or Pauwa in Hindi, Pohe in Marathi, Chindé in Bengali, Chira in Assamese, Phovu in Konkani, Chudaa in Oriya,Atukula ponai in parts of Bihar and Jharkhand , Pauaa/Paunva in Gujarat, and Chiura  in Nepal, Bhojpur and Chhattisgarh.



Click Here for source:Wikipedia


Daddojanam- Yoghurt rice is a very traditional rice recipe in southern parts of India. It is served as a holy food(prasadam) in almost all the temples. World famous richest Temple Tirumala tirupathi offers this as one of the food to God and give this food as holy food to the devotees. I personally love this prasadam. Coming to the recipe.
Ingredients:
Curd/Youghurt-100grms/1 cup
Flattened rice/poha/Atukulu-1 cup
Carrot grated finely-1/4cup
Cucumber(kheera)-grated finaly-1/4cup
Onions finaly chopped-1/4cup
For seasoning/tempering:
Cumin seeds-1/2ts+1/2ts
Mustard seeds-1/2ts
Chana dal-1/2ts
Toor dal-1/2ts
Ginger-1/2 inch
Green chili-1 or 2 depending on how much hot you want
Salt to taste
vegetable oil-2ts
red chili-1


Directions:
Note: In temples they do not use onion, cucumber, green chili & carrot. They use Black peppers instead of green chili. You can prepare the same dish with cooked rice as well.


Take a bowl and toss in curd, flattened rice, cucumber, carrot, onions $ salt to taste one by one and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water if you wish. Now keep this mixture aside. 

Take green chili+1/2ts cumin seeds+ ginger and grind it into a fine paste with hand grinder. Now prepare seasoning, for seasoning heat 2ts of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds & mustard seeds. Wait until they splatter the add chan dal & toor dal wait until they turn golden brown. Add Red chili  & green chili+cumin+ginger paste and saute until raw flavor vanishes.

 Add this seasoning to the curd mixture and mix well.

 Refrigerate it for atleast 30min. Now the Yummy daddojanam is ready to serve. 


Hope you like my recipe.

Chicken- Coconut milk Curry

Ingredients:
Chicken----------------1/2KG
Chopped onions-----1/4cupCoconut milk-2cups
Tomato-----------------1big
chopped ciliantro---2t.s
Cumin seeds--------Few
Cumin powder------1ts
Coriander powder--1ts
Garam masala------1/4ts
Dry coconut powder--2ts
Turmeric------------Pinch
Salt-----------------To taste
Chilli powder------1/2t.s

Procedure:

1. Take chicken cut it into medium size cubes by removing extra fat and wash it.

2. Take a pan heat it add oil.

3. Add cumin seeds, after they splutter add onions and little bit of salt which aids to cook onions faster.

4. After the onions are half cooked add gingergarlic paste and turmeric and cook it until raw flavor of garlic            

    goes away.

5. Add chicken and cook it untill 80% done by stirring it in constant intervals.

6. Now add chopped tomatos and coconut powder and cook it until tomatos are completely cooked.

7. Add red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder,Coconut milk, salt and garam masala.

8. cook for 5 min in simmer by adding coconut milk if you want gravy.

9. After the curry is cooked garnish with ciliantro and serve it...goes well with bagara/ plain rice/chapati.

Hope you like my recipe.

Coconut kichidi- very delicious and yummy

I love coconut rice, but this time I wanna make something with twist on it. So I thought to try kichidi this time. It came out really good with wonderful color. But let us see what are the benefits & good/bad about the coconut. Coconut and its coconut oil are high in saturated fats, even higher than butter and margarine. Several studies prove that it greatly elevates the LDL- bad cholesterol. However coconut oil is suggested as a replacement for hydrogenated vegetable oils. Although they both increase the bad cholesterol levels, coconut oil seems to also have a powerful HDL- good cholesterol boosting effect. Myristic acid found in coconuts that causes the increase in LDL and HDL accounts for about 19% of the fat in coconut. But it contains good amount of fiber too, that can help you in weight loss.

Now coming to the recipe

Ingredients:(Serves 2)

Rice- 1 & 1/2 cup

Coconut milk-2cups

Water-2cups

Salt to taste

Chana dal(senaga pappu)-1/4 cup

Moong dal-1/4cup

For seasoning:
Cumin seeds-1/2ts(Jeera)
Mustard seeds-1/2ts(Avalu)
Whole red chili-1/2( endu mirchi)
Chana dal-1tbsp(senaga pappu)
Toor dal-1tbsp(minapa pappu)

Grated coconut-1/2cup

Green chili-3 in number- longitudinally split

cashew nut-4-5in num(optional)

Curry leaves- 1 rib (optional)

Directions:

• Take rice+ chana dal+ toor dalWash and add 2cups of coconut milk and 2 cups of water to the rice mixture and cook them like normal rice with little salt.
• Now prepare seasoning mean while. For seasoning, heat 2ts of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and mustard seeds after they begin to splatter add chana dal+ Moong dal. and saute until they turn light brown.
• Now add green chili, fresh grated coconut, cashew nuts and saute them under medium flame till coconut is well cooked. Now add salt to taste and rice mix well.
• Dish is ready to serve.

hope you like my recipe.